Self Care Pt 2

Written by Karen A. Miller, CFP®, CPFA on 05 March 2020.

Staying Healthy to Stay Happy

A Guide for Women

In the first installment, we discussed some ways to get and stay physically healthy—which is critical to being happy today and in retirement. But to be truly happy, you also need to be taking care of your mental health. And this is something women often overlook. We think, “I had my physical. I’m practicing self-care.” But the truth is that if you’re not focused on your mental health as well, you’re not really taking care of yourself.

We’ve gathered a few simple, but powerful ways to start taking care of your mental health.

Embrace the joy of missing out

You’ve most likely heard people talking about FOMO, or the fear of missing out. It’s a very real thing that can cause high stress and anxiety. Did you know, however, that there is power in choosing to miss out on things? Scientists have proven that empowering yourself to find the joy in missing out (JOMO) can help you become a much happier person. Here are some simple ways to find your own JOMO:

Take a tech detox—leave your tech at home when you go on a date or when you’re on vacation or simply put it down for a set number of hours per day. Try a “screenless Saturday.”
Disconnect—take a break from social media for a few days or a week
Reflect—set aside time to do nothing
Reconnect—with the people you care about live or over the phone
Say no—to parties or events that feel more like obligations, rather than something you’ll truly enjoy

You can find books on JOMO on amazon, can subscribe to the JOMOcast podcast here, and can find countless other tools and articles online.

Meditate

You may be thinking, “Nope. Not for me,” but hear me out. There have been numerous studies on the benefits of meditation and it doesn’t have to be complicated or take a long time. There are countless books, audio recordings and apps (Mindfulness, Calm and Headspace to name a few) that can help you become a master of meditation. But here are a few tips you can use to get started right now:

Step 1: Close your eyes and focus on your breathing (some count their breaths to 10 and start over)
Step 2: Try to acknowledge the thoughts you have as they come, but to let them go, rather than going down any particular rabbit hole
Step 3: Don’t judge—if you can’t relax or feel like it’s not working, simply try again later or tomorrow

Even just a few minutes each day can help you feel more relaxed, less anxious and happier.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

While many believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness, I believe it is a sign of strength. And the truth is that everyone, regardless of how healthy they are, can benefit from a person or people who can listen to what they have to say without judgement. There are a number of ways you can get the support you need, including:

Talking to a friend—never underestimate the power of confiding in a girlfriend
Traditional therapy—sometimes we need or want a professional to help us
Group therapy or group coaching—realizing that we are not alone in our experiences or what we think and feel (sometimes being a mom/wife/entrepreneur sucks) can be one of the most powerful realizations you can have

Any and all of these outlets can help us to understand that it’s okay to feel how we feel, that we are more powerful and capable than we realize, and that we are not alone. And these ideas are critical to helping us become happier and stronger mentally—today and during retirement.

Gasber Financial can help you make sure that your finances are staying healthy and that you are on track toward your retirement goals.